In a targeted push to expand higher education access and deepen institutional ties across the Eastern Caribbean, the University of the West Indies (UWI) Five Islands Campus is preparing to host a three-day public outreach mission to Dominica, scheduled for May 11 to 13, 2026. The initiative centers on strengthening collaborative partnerships with Dominican stakeholders, opening new pathways to tertiary education for local students, and fostering public dialogue on pressing regional economic challenges amid global shifts. Leading the UWI delegation will be Pro Vice-Chancellor and Campus Principal Professor C. Justin Robinson, who will spearhead discussions with senior Dominican government leaders during the visit. The core of these talks will center on expanding educational opportunities for Dominican citizens, co-developing new research projects aligned with local priorities, and adjusting UWI’s academic curricula to better support Dominica’s long-term national development objectives. A key public highlight of the mission will be Professor Robinson’s free public lecture, set to take place at 5:00 PM on May 12 at Dominica State College. Titled “No One Is Coming to Save Us: Economic Strategies for the Nature Isle in a Changing Global Order,” the address will examine the unique economic hurdles and growth opportunities facing both Dominica and the broader Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), against a backdrop of rapidly shifting geopolitical alliances and evolving global trade frameworks. In prepared remarks ahead of the visit, Professor Robinson emphasized the critical role of context-aware higher education in empowering small island developing states. “The geopolitical tide is turning, and small island states cannot afford to be passive observers,” he said. “A high-quality university education – one rooted in the realities of our Caribbean context – is not a luxury; it is the single most powerful instrument our people have for shaping their own economic destiny. The UWI Five Islands Campus exists precisely to ensure that young men and women across the OECS have access to that opportunity, so that when the global order shifts as it is shifting now, we are architects of the response, not subjects of it.” Complementing the lecture, the UWI Five Islands Campus will partner with Dominica State College to host the 2026 Dominica Open House the same day, running from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM on the college campus. The open house is designed to demystify the university admissions process for prospective students, their families and community members, providing detailed information on available academic programs, application requirements, student financing options, and campus life at the Five Islands Campus. University representatives will be on hand throughout the day to answer individual questions and support attendees with enrollment inquiries. Per the university’s official media statement, the Dominica Open House is part of a broader institutional strategy to break down long-standing barriers to high-quality tertiary education across OECS member states, addressing both geographic isolation and financial constraints that have historically limited many Caribbean students’ ability to pursue university studies. The outreach mission marks a deliberate expansion of UWI Five Islands Campus’ engagement across OECS territories, with the aim of centering regional needs in higher education provision and economic development planning.
University of the West Indies Five Islands Campus to lead open house and public lecture in Dominica
